Honours grad combines love of healthcare with economics

Sharlyn Ng pursued her passion for nursing and economics and is the first Nursing student to graduate with double majors.

Sharlyn Ng cruised through a gruelling double major programme with the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, even though she was juggling Economics studies with an Honours thesis and clinical rotations in the final year of her Nursing degree programme – all while playing cello and performing with the NUS Symphony Orchestra. It is no wonder she is the first Nursing student to graduate with double majors.  

Nursing and Economics might seem poles apart, but they are not the parallel universes many think they are, said Sharlyn. “I have always been fascinated by how applicable Economics is and by its ability to provide insights into a wide variety of other fields, including medicine.”

A former student of the subject while in junior college, Sharlyn decided to pursue Nursing in University to fuel her interest in medicine and healthcare instead.

The nurse-to-be with the National University Hospital said she is glad she did not have to give up her interest in either while studying at NUS. A Ministry of Health Holdings Merit scholar, she hopes to pursue a post-graduate degree in Health Economics when she finishes serving her four-year bond in Nursing.

While the pandemic disrupted education for many students, it bolstered Sharlyn’s ability to meet her academic aspirations. “As tutorials and lectures went online, I was able to pack more classes into a day, and optimally plan the modules to meet requirements for graduation,” she explained.

While the workload in her final year was “tremendous”, Sharlyn said she was mentally enriched by the two disciplines of study.

“Coming to NUS showed me the opportunity of multi-disciplinary studies, something that changed my perspective on higher education. I learnt that the path to obtaining my degree can be unconventional and versatile – and it’s possible to combine my interests to achieve one of the biggest and proudest moments of my time here.”

What was the BEST opportunity you’ve had at NUS?

It would have to be my six-week summer exchange programme at Korea University in 2018. The extended time in Korea allowed me to immerse myself in the local culture, participate in local festivals, and explore many new places.

What was your most favourite spot on campus?

Before COVID-19, the study spaces at the Engineering faculty were a common spot for my friends and I to meet up almost every day – even during exam weeks. It’s where we’d spend time together studying, having meals, de-stressing and leaving for home in a group. Many fond memories and bonds were formed there!

What was the million-dollar question you tackled for your Honours thesis?

I decided to perform a network meta-analysis (NMA) for my Honours thesis topic, “Effectiveness and Safety of Type I and Type III Interferons and Janus Kinase Inhibitors on Clinical and Health-Related Outcomes in Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis”. It was a very challenging to perform the NMA as I had to learn a coding language in order to conduct the analysis and to learn to interpret the statistical data from the analysis by myself, but it was still an enjoyable time of learning new things beyond what was taught.

While it was quite stressful to complete my thesis within a short duration of eight weeks (this was the amount of time I had to complete it as I had to prepare for my Economics exams before and after the eight weeks), it was still exciting to be able to push myself beyond my personal limits and achieve personal goals.

What is a fun fact about you that not everyone knows?

I love doing latte art although I am not very good at it, but I am finding the time to go for workshops to improve my skills!

Tell us about your involvement in extra-curriculars at NUS.

I joined the NUS Symphony Orchestra (NUSSO) as a cellist in my second year. I am grateful for the opportunities I got to perform with NUSSO up until we were unable to perform due to COVID-19 restrictions, and for the new friendships formed at NUSSO. Practices were always my highlight of the week as it was a good time to de-stress by doing something that I love amid my busy weekly schedules. The excitement of performing on stage and being surrounded by music can never be found elsewhere!